4 Non-Fiction Books That Have Changed My Worldview

*You will notice that there is a common underlying theme- I have an unhealthy obsession with tragedy. Again, not ranked in any particular order unless otherwise mentioned.

An Inconvenient Indian (2012)

by Thomas King

Arguably the most influential book out of all the books on this list. I learned heaps from this book in my undergrad. Without giving too much away, King documents the history of Indigenous- White relations in North America structured thematically, allowing him to coherently present his arguments without compromising the scope of information being presented. What I find important about this book is it sheds light on the historical accounts of Indigenous relations with colonial settlers in an informative way without being dry like a textbook - this is done through King taking on a personalized narrative by injecting his sarcasm even though the subject matter is of a serious nature (something I can appreciate in any context). For anybody that wants to learn more on Indigenous relations particularly in a North American context, I strongly encourage you give this a read. Dare I say that Thomas King made a huge impact on me pursuing a career in the field of Indigenous relations, mainly because he along with countless others exposed me to the other side of a narrative that I was not taught through mainstream media sources. Dare I also say that Thomas King has made an impact on my sense of style, particularly in the department of hat selection. Hats off to you King, no seriously!

If you like this book I also highly recommend his other books entitled "The Truth About Stories" and "The Back of the Turtle". I am just an overall fan of his writing style and his ability to seamlessly transition between genres, whether it is fiction or non-fiction.

*Sidebar: Here is a picture of me nerding out and having a total fan-girl moment while meeting Thomas King a couple years ago during Social Justice Week at Ryerson* He also signed my books. Very few moments have topped this, I must say.

*Also refer to 24 Lessons I have learned at 24 (Lesson #5 - Do not cut your own fringe, how cringe).

The Rape of Nanking (1997)

by Iris Chang

I just recently read this book and can tell you it has haunted me since the first day I picked it up to give it a read. It details the very dark accounts of the massacres that transpired in Nanjijng (formerly the capital of the Republic of China) between 1937-1938. It documents the mass murders and rapes that the Japanese perpetrated onto the population of Nanjing. It is a very dark, harrowing read and more specifically, it documents the unimaginable. It really makes you as the reader question how humans can be capable of committing such terrible atrocities. It personally made me question social psychological concepts like group-think and how effortless it can be for people to commit heinous acts due to normalization by fellow comrades or for not wanting to be the one to stick out in the herd. I found the structure of the book interesting, as it was told through three different perspectives: 1) that of the Japanese soldiers who performed it; 2) of the Chinese civilians of Nanjing who endured it; and 3) of a group of Europeans and Americans who refused to abandon the city and were able to create a safety zone that saved almost 300,000 Chinese.

If I am being honest, I have had frequent nightmares from reading this book and just as a fair warning, it may act as a trigger for some people because the author really does not hold back when graphically describing the abuses. Albeit disturbing, it is important for people to understand that even though we cannot see ourselves perpetrating these acts- these atrocities still nonetheless transpire all over the world regardless of our ignorance (e.g. Indigenous cultural genocide, Rwandan genocide, Cambodian genocide, and the Holocaust just to name a few...). We should actively question why this is the case and not turn a blind eye solely because we cannot personally relate.

To The End of Hell: One Woman's Struggle to Survive Cambodia's Khmer Rouge Regime (2007)

by Denise Affonco

As the title suggests, this book is a thought-provoking memoir of a female survivor of Pol Pot's Khmer Rouge Regime in Cambodia between 1975 and 1979 . I randomly picked this book up a few years ago from a garage sale and not to my knowing, it has influenced my views on truth and reconciliation, and what that may look like in the context of repairing a war-torn country. Denise documents the horrors and hardship she along with the rest of the country of Cambodia had to endure throughout the regime by going into detail about life-threatening hunger and how certain acts of deprivation can really make loved ones turn on each other . It truly is a harrowing memoir of survival, but equally important- it showcases how resilient humans can be in the face of tragedy.

This book inspired me to later write a paper in grad school to further conceptualize the ideas of justice and reconciliation in Cambodia, post Khmer Rouge regime. I looked at the efficacy of trial and truth commissions and how said mechanisms can inform and further pose critical concerns for policymakers that are involved in peace-building missions. I did this by using a restorative justice framework to guide my analysis. I further argued that although Cambodians are no longer in the midst of violent conflict, there is still a great deal of work that needs to be done in order to address the shortcomings and to further restore truth and reconciliation in Cambodia. This, along with local victim participation is required for the victims of these atrocities to attain even a glimpse of justice.

The Road to Wigan Pier (1937)

by George Orwell

This book is a lesser- known work by Orwell, but I would argue that it deserves more attention relative to his more popular works (e.g. 1984 and Animal Farm). It has been a book that has been extremely influential surrounding my views on socialism and leftist ideologies.

The first half of this book is an ethnography written in 1937, chronicling the bleak living conditions of working class coal miners in Northeast England (Lancashire and Yorkshire). Orwell details the social injustices (e.g. horrific labour conditions, unemployment) that transpired before the second world war, and further documents how the Labour Party evolved in England. I find the ethnography portion very interesting because Orwell comes from an English upper-class background and he talks about crawling into the mines himself and talking to these coal miners, and juxtaposes their lives with his own sheltered and comfortable living conditions. It is clear that he expresses empathy for these coal miners, even though he cannot truly imagine how difficult their lives must have been. Though I do not identify as an upper-class Englishman (some people may argue otherwise), I feel as though I can relate to Orwell's honesty- having empathy for a population that has endured the worst but still granted the luxury and comfort associated with living a relatively sheltered life.

Another thing I find fascinating about this book is that even though Orwell wrote this in the 1930s, there are still so many parallels that can be drawn in today's world in regards to social injustices surrounding labour conditions, unemployment, etc. Orwell did a good job of dispelling myths surrounding those who are unemployed -by not attributing it to laziness and lack of motivation, but rather when Orwell interviewed these folks they were more often than not desperate for work and relied on it, in order to feed their families. It further begs the question- Was Orwell a man before his time? Or have we as a society not learned from the harsh lessons archived throughout history? Perhaps a combination of the two...However it seems to have fallen on deaf ears.

The remaining half of the book is an honest account of Orwell's political ideologies, as he lays out his conceptualization of socialism and how socialism is the be-all- end-all- route towards alleviating the social issues previously mentioned. He then questions, why is everybody not a socialist? I find it interesting to see how socialism has evolved since Orwell's time and how we as a society now have this group of post-modernist thinkers who seem to advocate for socialist principles without actually implementing those principles within their own daily practices.

If you are a fan of Orwell's work, I would also recommend reading his essay entitled "Shooting an Elephant". It is brilliant. Spoiler alert: The Elephant is an analogy for colonialism throughout the British rule in Burma.

*If you liked this post, do let me know if you would like me to post on Fiction books that have changed my worldview*